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Security Forces Bust Terror Group Near Pakistan Border

The Sistan and Baluchestan police chief announced on Wednesday that security forces arrested 18 members of a terrorist group in southern Iran along the border with Pakistan.

General Hossein Rahimi said, "The group started conducting its terror and sabotage operations in the province first in 2007 until November last year when they carried out their latest operation by opening fire on a police patrol in the city of Sarbaz."

He noted, "The group members have confessed to receiving financial backing from an individual in a neighboring Arab country," Fars news agency reported.

Rahimi said most of the group members have received military training from one to three months in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Iran has a 300 kilometer-long stretch of joint border with Pakistan. There has been a spate of terrorist attacks in recent years with gunmen crossing the porous border. Iranian officials have frequently criticized Islamabad for not taking adequate action to prevent terrorist groups from using its soil as an operation base against Iran and prevent them from crossing the common border. Iran has even hinted it may be forced to enter into Pakistani territory "to confront terrorists."